1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a process of preparing thick albedo type citrus fruit sections by treating citrus fruit with enzymes to allow the removal of peel and separation of the sections from one another without the loss of juice or tissue.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The conventional process of preparing sections for citrus fruit (Chemistry and Technology of Citrus, Citrus Products and By-Products, Agricultural Handbook #98, USDA, Washington, D.C., Sept. 1962) involves aging the fruit in bins for 4 to 6 days to loosen the peel and use of steam or steaming water to soften the peel for mechanical removal. Only the outer peel is removed by the steam treatment and the adhering albedo and membrane are "digested" by hot alkali. The alkali-treated fruit is then washed extensively with cold water to remove the alkali and lower the fruit temperature for sectionizing. After cooling, the fruit are positioned on a spindle for cutting blades to exercise the sections from the fruit. Only about 60% of the fruit section is recovered, the other 40% remains attached to the membrane and fruit core on the spindle or is lost as juice. The final product is packed in juice and syrup and heat pasteurized. This conventional process produces a product that does not contain the fresh flavor or texture of fresh fruit.